Favre says he played "a lot" with concussions

Posted by Mike Florio on December 6, 2009, 8:12 PM EST

As he continues to rack up every available ironman record in pro football, Vikings quarterback Brett Favre admitted in an interview with NBC’s Cris Collinsworth that he kept the string alive by relying in part on a rock-hard head.

So how many times did he play in a game with a concussion that today would have resulted in Favre sitting out?

“A lot,” Favre said.

But it was almost as if Favre, who’s firmly in the twilight of his career, tried to jam the subject into the discussion.

The subject arose as Favre was talking about his recent conversation with former Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall, with whom Favre shares (until 8:30 p.m. ET tonight) the record for consecutive regular-season games played, at a mind-boggling 282.

In explaining that the lineman’s feat is more impressive because linemen hit on every play, Favre said to Marshall, “You played in an era where [the attitude was], ‘Concussion? Get back out there. We don’t want to hear it.'”

So Collinsworth took the bait, given the reality that the “era” to which Favre refers didn’t end until, um, last month.

“So did you,” Collinsworth said.

And then came what in our view was a preview of Larry The Cable Guy’s new material.

The concussion issue is why Favre’s consecutive game streak record is the only record that can never be broken (untilless they improve helmets to all but eliminate concussions).
Favre played most of his career in an era where concussions were something to man up and play through. Going forward players will be forced by league doctors to miss games following concussions as a precaution.

Funny how obsessed the media is with Favre. Especially writers like this idiot that try to find something to rip him about every time he does an interview.
Favre haters all sound like idiots….especially now that he’s proved all you morons to be wrong about him.
Why not write bad things about all the aholes in the league that actually are detrimental to society, their families, their baby’s mammas, and the nfl.

Mr. HGH Favre will be exposed for popping pills again soon enough.
Someone who has a history of previous substance abuse.
Someone who is obviously driven by revenge.
Someone who has never been really physically fit and has taken a lot of abuse though out his career.
(Jerry Rice was a fitness beast in the off-season and freakishly fit by comparison)
Signs are all there, just waiting for someone to look past Lord Favre aura and connect the dots.

Yea, I’m gonna call BS. Believe me, as bad as this guy wants to be seen as unstoppable, he would have been bragging about playing with a concussion. This is just more media whoring from the Queen whore.

Collingsworth should get married to Farve.
Every time Farve loses he says he played injured. He is such a jerk. If someone else gets in the news Farve say Oh I did that.
He think he is the only person on the team. Except those poor guys that are assigned to protect him. Other than that just let the rest of the team have a party.
I m so glad other people are on to him too.

A narcissistic hypochondriac AND stand up comedian?! Sweet!!! I hope he falls off his tractor and runs over his hands. That should get him to retire for good.
I love how everybody talks about how tough he is, but they forget the fact that he was so hopped up on pain pills for the first few years of his career you could have shot him in the face and he wouldn’t have felt a thing. It’s pretty easy to play through pain WHEN YOU CAN’T FEEL ANYTHING!!!

I remember one game in particular where Favre got a concussion. He came off the bench on the next play, which iirc was 4th down and threw a TD pass. LOL. None of us could figure out why he was in on that play. He said he didn’t even remember it after the game.
Pretty much showed who was running the team during the Sherman era.

That interview was a joke. Collinsworth – who I like calling the games – made an idiot out of himself; he talked about how “not only” did the Packers “release” Favre, but they wouldn’t let him go where he wanted. He actually used those terms. Um, let’s not re-write history. The Packers traded Favre to the Jets. Had they released him they couldn’t prevent him from going where he wanted. At least the studio crew seemed to appropriately mock Favre’s wish that they come to a mutually beneficial agreement…

The streak is impressive regardless of what “era” it took place in. And I think keeping it intact is at the heart of the reason(s) Favre wanted to continue playing. It will never be broken. Fifty years from now when all his other records are broken, this one will likely stand forever, and I think that is what he really wanted. The ability to sustain the streak currently keeps Peyton in-check. If Peyton goes down, I don’t think Favre will be back, especially if the 2009 all-in strategy of the Vikings fails.